


Reversion (Stay With Me 'Til The Morning)

by Voidfish



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 11:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13546197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voidfish/pseuds/Voidfish
Summary: The man against him is soft but Taako doesn’t know him. Doesn’t remember the tight locks of raven black hair that splay across his pillow as this man sleeps. Taako studies the stranger - sharp features, thick eyelashes and gorgeous dark skin - and he can’t connect this handsome man in his bed to his life.





	Reversion (Stay With Me 'Til The Morning)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [malevolentmango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/malevolentmango/gifts).



> This is for the incredible MalevolentMango, whose work I'm a huge fan of, especially the stuff with memory loss taako, so I really hope you enjoy.
> 
> Warning for a few sex jokes, but they're very mild.
> 
> Thank you so much to fevermachine and nonsycamore for betaing, and AmazingSuperiority (Taakofromtaz) for helping with the title!

The man against him is soft but Taako doesn’t know him. Doesn’t remember the tight locks of raven black hair that splay across his pillow as this man sleeps. Taako studies the stranger - sharp features, thick eyelashes and gorgeous dark skin - and he can’t connect this handsome man in his bed to his life.

He’s done this routine before: waking up in a strangers bed bleary and a little ashamed. He was genuinely hoping he’d had been done with it now.

The strangest thing is that he can’t convince his feet to move towards the door. For some sad reason it almost pains him to leave.

His first step is soft and quiet, the second step matching, until finally he has noiselessly made his way to the door.

His hands shake as he grabs the doorknob, and as he turns the knob he hears behind him a soft yawn.

“Taako, what time is it?” The man mumbles.

 _Shit._ This is bad. This is really, really bad.

“How do you know my name?” Taako replies, slowly, trying to stand strong. He’s brave, he’s powerful. He’s Taako from TV for the gods’ sake!

His voice trembles and he hates it.

The man sits up at that, brow furrowing. His eyes widen in understanding, in pity, in anguish before they return to a neutral position. He slowly raises his hands in a placating gesture. “You told me it. A long time ago. Taako, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“What is this, kemosabe, twenty questions?”

The man shakes his head. His calm facade is breaking. “Taako, please. I’m just trying to figure out what I can do to help you.”

Taako, for some reason, obliges.

“I run a cooking show, homie. Just finished a show in Waterdeep. I gotta find Sazed and head out of here.” When he hears the human’s name the man in front of him recoils. “Look, we fucked, I’m sure it was great, but I gotta-”

“Taako, please sit down.” The man says. “I’ll explain everything, but - please, love.”

Taako raises an eye. “Alright,” he declares, as he moves towards the bed. The man looks shocked. “But only because you called me love.” The man chuckles. “So, what’s your name, handsome?”

The man’s face falls. “It’s  Kravitz,” he finally says, eyes growing sadder.

“Pleasure for you to meet me,” Taako says. “So, you goth or something?”

The man - Kravitz - laughs at that. “I wouldn’t call it goth.”

“I would,” Taako replies. “You see how many goth birds you got over this place?”

“For one, I’ve told you this a thousand times, they’re ravens, and two-”

“We’ve just met,” Taako corrects him.

Kravitz frowns. “Taako,” he starts, “we’re married.”

Taako blinks, startled, before bursting into laughter. “I think I would remember marrying someone that good looking,” he says.

“Look at your hand,” Kravitz replies. Bewildered, Taako obliges.

The ring is beautiful, a ruby on ornately carved black metal. It even matches the one that Kravitz carefully displays on his own hand.

“This is a very good prank, buddy,” is the only thing Taako can think to reply. He doesn’t know where he is, who this man in front of him is, but he knows danger when he sees it, despite how his instincts are telling him to run to the man instead of away from him.

Kravitz purses his lips. “Please, I know today has been rough, but you can work through this.”

“What happened?” Taako asks. He knows he shouldn’t play this guy’s games, should run out of the room and find his caravan, but sue him for being curious.

Kravitz adjusts himself on the bed in order to get closer to Taako. “There was a, well, a work accident.”

“Oh yeah? Where do you work, the morgue?”

Kravitz laughs at that. “Sort of.” After Taako’s confused look he continues. “I’m an emissary for the Raven Queen.”

Taako’s blood freezes. “You’re the Grim Reaper?”

Kravitz sees the tension in Taako’s shoulder and frowns. “I’m not going to hurt you, Taako,” he says softly. “I’m not here for business.”

Taako raises a carefully cared for eyebrow. “What then, you here for pleasure?”

Kravitz smiles, but it’s tinged with sadness. “I’d put it that way.”

There’s a pause before Taako breaks it, waving his hand. “Well, go on. What happened?”

“I’m not sure explaining the situation would be a good idea, Taako,” Kravitz frowns.

“C’mon, I can handle it,” the elf begs.

Kravitz hesitates, but he eventually gives in. “There was a group of necromancers, and Barry got hit with Contagion. You know what that is, right?”

“Necromancy, right?”

“Exactly,” Kravitz nods. “Level five spell. There are different types, but the one that hit Barry was Mindfire. It was… uncomfortable to watch. Lup, obviously, handled it poorly.” Kravitz sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It was, well, it was a mess.”

“Who’s Barry?” Taako asks. “And who’s Lup?”

Kravitz flinches at that, before cautiously answering. “Lup is your sister. Barry’s her husband.”

Taako shakes his head at this. “You’ve got a mistake, bubaleh, because Taako here’s an only child.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” Kravitz says, so softly that Taako has to strain to hear it. He refuses to meet Taako’s eyes, instead playing with his hands carefully placed in his lap.

“Do what?”

“I wish I could do something for you,” Kravitz continues, still refusing to meet his eyes. “But right now, I think it’s best if I call Lup.”

“Don’t give up on me now, Bones,” Taako finds himself saying. He doesn’t know what it means, but Kravitz apparently does. The reaper in front of him glances up quickly, confusion in his eyes, along with something else. Something like hope.

“What did you call me?”

“I dunno, it just slipped out,” Taako manages to say, cheeks beginning to flush.

Kravitz smiles at him patiently. “That’s a nickname of mine. I think your memories are starting to come back.”

Taako doesn’t want to think about that, about the ramifications, about the fact that he might’ve lost years of memories. Instead, he asks, “Why ‘bones’?”

Kravitz ducks his head at this. “It’s, ah - it’s a bit odd.”

Taako shrugs. “Doesn’t matter to me. Hit me with it.”

Kravitz stares at him for a moment before nodding to himself. “Alright. Well - and please don’t freak out - it’s because I can do this.”

And suddenly Kravitz transforms. Where there was once a handsome man there now sits a skeleton.

Taako, reasonably, does not take this well.

“Holy fucking shit,” Taako says, scooting further away. “Hatchi matchi.”

The skeleton chuckles. “I told you not to freak out,” he responds, in Kravitz’s voice.

“I don’t know what I expected, but it sure wasn’t fucking that,” Taako says, and that earns him a laugh. The sound fills him with joy. He doesn’t know why.

Kravitz returns to his human form. He looks amused.

“Now that I know what to expect it’s pretty cool,” Taako admits. “You go boney a lot?”

“Something like that. No, I only use this form to track down souls that have disobeyed my Queen.”

“Could be fun,” Taako says, wiggling his eyebrows. Kravitz blushes. It’s a good look on him, and Taako decides he’s going to try to get Kravitz as flustered as he can.

“That would be inappropriate,” Kravitz squeaks.

“That’s not a no.”

Kravitz coughs. “How are you feeling?”

“That’s a diversion, homie.” Taako grins. After a second he relents. “Ok, fine, you win, bones. You got me. No skele-sex.”

Kravitz holds a hand out to wrap around Taako, then pauses, waiting for permission. Taako sighs and drapes the arm around his shoulders.

“How much do you remember?” Kravitz asks.

Taako considers being an ass, but there’s something sincere about this man. “About life in general?”

Kravitz thinks about this for a second. “Let’s try smaller. What do you remember about me?”

This one Taako has to really think about. What does he know about this man, and what of it is from meeting him now and what of it is from when they fell in love?

“You can turn into a bone boy,” Taako starts, “and I guess that’s kinda cool?”

Kravitz laughs at that. “How about I tell you some stories,” he suggests, “and see if we can jog your memory.”

“Sure,” Taako manages. The adrenaline from before is starting to fade and Taako is growing tired. Normally he wouldn’t let himself get sleepy around someone else, but by this point Taako knows Kravitz is no stranger.

“It all started with a particular group of bounties on my list,” Kravitz begins.

“I thought you said this wasn’t a work thing.”

“Well, _this_ right now isn’t a work thing. But back then, well, back then it was, I suppose.”

Taako lets himself relax, let himself snuggle closer to this man. “Alright. So, it started with ch’boy being hunted down by a handsome stranger?”

“To be fair, I was doing my job.”

\---

The man against him is soft. Taako wakes up, stretching from an awkward position, to discover Kravitz against him.

“Hey, Krav,” Taako whispers.

The reaper blinks awake against him. “Hm?” When he sees Taako he jumps up, startled. “Taako. You’re - do you remember me?”

“How could I forget?”

Kravitz envelops his husband in an embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Taako says.

“Don’t be,” Kravitz replies. “I’ll always be there for you. Even when things get tough.”

Taako pushes back to look Kravitz in the eye. “That’s gay,” he replies.

Kravitz simply smiles. It’s good to have Taako back.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is @infernaltwink, come scream with me about how amazing MalevolentMango is!


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